Six Years and Counting

Today marks the sixth anniversary of our wedding day! We actually enjoyed a night out on the town, thanks to Shayla being willing to hang out with, bath and feed Ezekiel and get him to bed.

We tried Dominicks for dinner. (They have the most amazing butternut squash ravioli.) Then we were going to grab dessert at The Patisserie, but we got there too late. And still, it was a perfect day. I love being married to this guy!

Photo from Pinterest

Sunny Sabbath

He always finds something to get into.

It was great to get together with the Crawfords this afternoon and enjoy their beautiful back yard. Nelita and Zeke explored and invented games. I cuddled with Oliver and soaked up the sun. Robb and David shot eachother with a Nerf gun the whole time. Eventually Zeke poured a whole glass of water down himself and ended up wearing a tiny outfit of Oliver's. Looking forward to more sunny days.

Der-der?

Robb got this giant cardboard tube so he could build a feeder for the chickens (more on that later). In the meantime, it's been sitting around and getting a lot of attention from Ezekiel. Tonight when Jesse was here, the two of them tried out their double didgeridoo routine. Thanks to Rachel for snapping some photos and taking this video clip.

Rascality

Heather comes up with the coolest activities for the little ones at the Rascal Ranch. Today Zeke got to practice moving water with a sponge. He loves the water activities and it usually soaked but smiling ear to ear by the time I pick him up.

Nature's Light Show

Intrepid storm chaser braves the tempest.

I guess there was a crazy lightning show last night, but we completely slept through it. So when it started up again tonight David and Robb ran out to see if they could capture it on film. It went on for hours and the whole landscape would light up like it was morning. There were so many ground strikes, I'm sure there will be wildfires tomorrow.

Ezekiel Photo of the Day

Zeke and Oliver sharing some giggles.

Z & P

Another blog post stolen from Jo and Chelane. We stopped by Fackenthalls this evening and got to see not only Aunt Pat and Uncle John, but Great Grandma Edna, Jo and Chelane and Pepper! Apparently Zeke was feeling particularly amorous. At one point he grabbed Pepper's pacifier so he could kiss her again. I suppose we'll have to put a stop to this at some point...

Mellow Sunday

Zeke couldn't get enough of the hummingbird feeder.

Grandpa Harold shows Robb around his workshop.

Getting in some last minute cuddles.

 Zeke thinks he has a new toy.

We had such a wonderful weekend in Portland that it was hard to leave. Grandpa Harold and Grandma Ellen are awesome hosts and we look forward to visiting again.

Videos from the Zoo

Here are a few short clips from our day at the zoo. We were too busy soaking up all the sights to get enough video, but oh well...

Evening Fun

Making popcorn with Grandpa Harold.

Everyone was feeling like snacking when we got home, so after polishing off Grandma Ellen's macaroni and cheese, we had popcorn and fruit and homemade applesauce. Then it was such a beautiful evening that we took a stroll down the road and along the river.

And Then This Happened

The temporary octopus ring. (How cool is that!?)

So, apparently Jesse had a little surprise up his sleeve this whole time. On a bench in front of the hippo pond (where they started dating three years ago), he got down on one knee and proposed. Since Robb happened to be standing nearby, he snapped a few frames, and a little crowd stopped to watch. Congratulations, you two! We look forward to many more adventures together.

African Lions

The majestic, and somewhat timid male.

Enjoying the super, close-up view of the lionesses.

Robb tries not to be nervous.

By the time we reached the lions, it was a blazing sunny day and they were out enjoying the warm rocks. Then the zookeepers dropped in some boxes for them to explore and they headed right over to the window we were in front of. They were so close it almost made you twitchy.

Africa Animals

After the excitement of the lions, we cruised through the rest of the Africa exhibits. The cheetahs were cozied right up next to the window. The rhino was up and about, the little caracal was nesting in the sun and the hippo was putting on quite a show.

Asian Elephants

 Looks like Packy has to stay inside today.

 Jesse and Rachel posing it up at the elephant overlook.

Zeke is enamored with the giant creatures.

50 years ago an elephant named Packy became the first elephant to be born in North America in 44 years. Since then, the Portland Zoo has become known for their Asian Elephants, and they are pretty amazing. There were some younger ones out in the overlook that were play fighting. Or really fighting, it is hard to say.

A Little Time Out

 Zeke frolics in a little water display.

Could anything be better than eating elephant ears
on a sunny day at the zoo? Rachel thinks not.

 Did you know that vultures need lots of sunlight so the UV rays can kill off all the nasty bacteria they get into?

We finally decided to pause for a bit for refreshments (and a diaper change). We headed out to the parking lot for a mini tailgate party around our well-stocked cooler. It also started to warm up nicely (which was great, as we were about to head into Asia and Africa for the afternoon). Some of us actually needed sunscreen.